Ellis to captain Team Canada

Canada named defenseman Ryan Ellis as captain for its 2011 World Junior Championship team.

This will be Ellis' third WJC, making him the seventh player in Hockey Canada history to participate in three tournaments. With a gold in 2009 and a silver last year, he's hoping to become the fourth Canadian player to win three WJC medals, joining Jason Botterill, Jay Bouwmeester and Jason Spezza.

Ellis, taken by the Nashville Predators with the 11th pick of the 2009 Entry Draft, also is captain of the OHL's Windsor Spitfires.

Named as alternate captains were the three other players who won silver alongside Ellis that are returning for this year's WJC -- defensemen Jared Cowen and Calvin de Haan, and forward Brayden Schenn.